Algae Eaters

[dortiz24]

I want to add a couple algae eaters to my 29 gal. This aquarium has freshwater salt in it. Will algae eaters be okay in that kind of water? If not, are there any other 'algae' fish that will?

 

[rdd1952]

I'm not certain if there are any that would be ok in a tank with salt in it. Actually, your cory shouldn't be in a tank with salt either. Mollies do need salt as they are really brackish fish but the others you have would be much better off without it. Most freshwater fish are exactly that and have problems with salt. Below are several links to posts by Bignose that detail the effects of salt on primary and secondary freshwater fish.


http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/21...owtopic-210955/
http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/21...owtopic-211791/
http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/16...owtopic-168186/
http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/15...owtopic-155280/
http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/15...owtopic-157186/

 

[dortiz24]

Oh, so I don't really need salt?! I read somewhere that guppies like a bit of salt in the water. And the mollies and platies are tolerant to it. I wasn't using it as a medication or anything. I just thought they needed it in the tank. And I just got done buying a big cartono of it too! LOL I add a few teaspoons every time I do a water change. My water changes are always 30%-50%. None of my fish seem to be suffering though, so that's good. I'll just stop adding it from now on.

Think if I did a couple 50% water changes, like twice this week, then added a couple algae eaters next weekend they'd be okay?

Also, I've had my cory for several months now and have always had salt in the water. The past few days I did notice he seems to be 'breathing' more rapidly....could that be related to the salt?

 

[KraKen]

If by "algea eater" you mean a chinese algea eater I would suggest that you get something else like a bristlenose pleco instead, since I've heard that chinese algae eaters enjoy a meal of "eye of cory"

 

[Lindsey88]

Some great small algae eaters are Otocinclus (these need to be in groups of at least 3-6), bristlenose plecos, or bulldog plecos (these should be alone).

 

[rdd1952]

You will be better off removing the salt with regular water changes. Doing large ones could cause large swings in the pH, Gh & KH of the water and stress the fish even more. As far as algae eaters are concerned, as mentioned, steer clear of Chinese algae eaters. They do become very aggressive as they get older and actually eat very little algae. Siamese algae eaters are very good as are the otos previously mentioned. There are some species of plecos that will work, such as the bristlenose that was mentioned. Before buying a pleco, make sure you check the adult size of them as some such as common plecs grow way too large for your tank.

If you do decide to go with the SAEs, make sure you get true SAEs and not one of the 2 similar fish that are sometimes mislabeled. Here is a link to the species thread on them and it has a description of all 3.

 

[dortiz24]

Thanks. Those comments really helped! I think I will try to go with the pleco.

 

[Lindsey88]

Just don't get common plecos. Make sure to get on of the smaller types

 

[Queen oF The Gravel]

hiya guys, iv been reading your QandAs about algae eaters as i am thinking about geting one my self.. i wanted a small pleco but i dont know what type is best for my tank.

i have a 60l tank
2 fan tails
3 danios
2 mollys
temp 24c
planted but not very heavly
air pump
large stones and log

i dont have much algae growth at all as far as i can see, but i hear you can feed them plec wafers and also cucumber.

any advice or info? Thanx

 

[rdd1952]

Hi Queen and welcome to the forum.

I'm not certian that there are any plecos that are suitable for your tank. Even dwarf plecos such as a bristlenose grow to 4" or so and that is getting tight in a 15 gallon tank. You could add otos as they only grow to slightly over an inch. I have not had any luck with them though a they are delicate. Mine never seemed to eat veggies and once the algae was gone, they ended up dying.

On a side note, the fan tails you have really need a larger tank. Goldfish can grow to well over a foot long and can easily grow to 3" or so (not counting the tail) in less than a year. The are also heavy waste producers. Most people say that 20 gallons is the minimum size for 1 goldfish and then an additional 10 gallons for each additiona fish.

Last but not least, I see your Group is "Validating". You need to find the email you should have received when you joined the forum and click the link in it to validate your membership. Until you do that, you will only be able to post a select few forums. If you didn't receive an email (possibly in a junk folder), you can have it resent by going here. Just make sure you can receive email from gmail.com domains.

 

[Queen oF The Gravel]

Thankyou fr your reply. the 2 fan tails i have got are only really small and seem extreamly happy in the enviroment they are in. I know they will eventualy get pretty big and when that time comes the pet shop i got them from are more than happy to take them bck and keep them in a larger tank. The thing that gets me is how few fish we are 'aloud' to keep for the tank size but yet when ever you go to any pet shop or aquarium the tanks are packed full.......

What are otto's anyway lol. never hurd of them?

 

[OldMan47]

Ottos are otocinclus. They are a very nice peaceful fish that only get about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. If you google them you will get pictures easily. They are quite common but rarely make their presence known in a tank because they don't swim as actively as many other fish do. I got 2 which is less than suggested here but they cleaned a badly overgrown case of algae in my 10 gallon in just a few days. Since then I have had to feed them algae wafers since they had none of their natural food remaining.

 

[littlest]

Thankyou fr your reply. the 2 fan tails i have got are only really small and seem extreamly happy in the enviroment they are in. I know they will eventualy get pretty big and when that time comes the pet shop i got them from are more than happy to take them bck and keep them in a larger tank. The thing that gets me is how few fish we are 'aloud' to keep for the tank size but yet when ever you go to any pet shop or aquarium the tanks are packed full.......

What are otto's anyway lol. never hurd of them?

It's not about what you are "allowed" to keep in your tank, it's about giving your fish the best home and conditions you can so they lead full and healthy lives.

Comparisons to pet shops aren't really appropriate for a few reasons:

1. The pet shop doesn't need to worry about the adult size of fish as they won't reach the adult size while in the shop

2. Pets shops often have massive filtration systems (Often numerous tanks will be connected to the same filtration system) which are well established. Your filtration at home is much less than that of a pet shop.

3. The fish aren't kept in the shop for that long.

4. Shops are businesses. They have fish to make money. You have fish to enjoy and look after them.

Another thing to think about when keeping goldfish is the filtration. They need higher filtration than tropicals because the are very messy fish and produce a lot of waste. You should have filtration of 10x the volume of the tank (these means for a 15 gallon you need filters which are rated at a total of 150gph (gallons per hour) with lots of media.

If you are not already, I advise you to test ammonia and nitrite regularly to make sure your filtration is keeping up with your goldies' waste.
If it is, you may be able to keep the fish in the tank you have for a while, but eventually you will need to upgrade.

 

[Queen oF The Gravel]

Thankyou "old Man" for your information. I have googled the otto's and like you said they are in the pet shops and i have seen them but there not a fish that sticks in your mind because they are not as active as most. Could i ask you a few more questions about them?

1. do they prefer to be alone or in groups?
2. how often do u give them the algae wafers after all your algae is gone?
3. usual cost?
4. life expectancy?

Thankyou

(To the other reply, the filter i am using is a fluval 2, i am asured that this was the right filter for my tank. i do regular checks on PH, GH, KH, nitrate, nitrite. i do a water change weekly and use a gravel cleaner)

Thankyou for your intrest

 

[dwarfgourami]

The one thing about otos is that they can be sensitive to water quality. So I'm not sure I'd keep them in a tank that has got such messy fish as fantails.

Once the fantails are gone, they should be fine. They prefer being kept in a group. No idea about life expectancy, but I imagine if well kept that they could last you 10 years or more. I would feed them daily, and alternate the algae wafers with ordinary vegetables.

About the home aquarium/pet shop thing- think of a pet shop as a place where the fish are in transit. Like commuters on a train. Like horses in one of those horse transport things. You can keep people, or horses, cooped up under those conditions for their whole lives and expect them to be happy.